Improved mercurial gas-regulator for nitrousi-oxide apparatus



J. B; COOLIDGE.

. Gas Regulator.

No.- 97,051. Patented Nov. '23, 1869.

NVPETERS, PHOTO-UTHOGRAPNER, WASHINGTON D, C.

illnitrll swa pa l can.

Letters Patent N 97,051, dated November .23, 1869.

IMPROVED MERCURIAL GAS-REGULATOR FOR NITROUS'POXIDE APPARATUS.

The Schedule refened to in these Letters Patent and making pant of the same.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J 011): BOOOLIDGE, of Boston,

.in the county of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts,

have invented a new and useful Mercurial Gas-Regulator; and I hereby declare that the followiugis a full and exact description thereof, and reference is made to .the accou'ipanying drawings, and to the letters of reference thereon, as parts of this specification.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the regulator, showing its parts and connections.

Figure 2 is a section ofithe same.

The letter A represents the U-shaped glass tube.

B, the packing-box.

C, an orifice in'the inlet-tube F.

15,11. flexible tube connected with theheating-burner.

G, a flexible tube to admit the illuminating-gas through the tube F into one end of the tube A.

H, a flexible tube to admit the manutactured gas into the other end of the tube A; and

I, the mercury in the tube A.

The object. of the invention is to regulate the amount of illuminating-gas admitted to a burner, which beats a retort or flask containing material for manufacturing nitrmls-oxidc or other gas evolved by heat, and which may be passed through water for purification.

The nature of the invention consists in the use of mercury as apartial cnt-oti' or regulator, arranged and combined with adcvice, and the improvements connected therewith, wherein the nitrous-oxide or other gas evolved and confined in awash-jar connected with the mercurial tube, presses upon the mercury in the tube, in one arm, causing it to rise in the other arm of the same tube, thereby diminishingthe supply of heating gas, aml thus dim nishing the heat which causes the nitrous-oxide orother gas to evolve.

The invention is an ilnprovcmentupon any existing device and process for this purpose, and is thus explained and described: I

The device consists ot'a strong U-shaped glass tube, A, into one end of which a boxwood tube, f, which tits andslidcs air-tight through a metallic packing-box, B, and this inlet-tube is adjustable. (Sec figs. 1 and 2, in the drawings.) Other material than boxwood may be used for the inlet-tube which mercury does not The device may be attached by screws to the room wall,.or to any convenient upright surface of five by three inches, the space which the device occupies, the part of the tube containing the inlet-tube F, being upright. 1

. When used, illuminating-gas is admitted by a flexible tube, G, (see dotted 1i pes, fig. 1,.)'and flows through the boxwood pipe f into the mercury-tube A. It is, of course, prevented from descending further into the tube than the mercury I, which occupies the bent portion the same about two-thirds full.

- of the tube, (see figs. 1 and 2,) and, rising, flows through the flexible tube E, which is connected, at its opposite end,- with the burner under the retort.

The flexible tube H, (see dotted lines, fig.1,). is connected with the wash or purifying-jars, usually the second from the gasometcr, or maybe connected by a T between two jars, when one or more jars are used.

These wash-jars (four in number are preferred) are connected with each other by tubes, passing from the retort into the first jar down into the water, which fills rises above the water, and passes by a second tube, having its open end near the air-tight cover of the jar,

over into the second jar in like manner, and so on through the series of jars and to the gasometer.

Whenever nitrous oxide is making too fast, its pressure through the tube H upon the mercury causes the mercury to rise in the opposite or upright portion of the tube A, and'its upward pressure lessens the space in the tube, and diminishes, of course, the supply of gas flowing to the burner.

Should the mercury continue to rise, and completely close the passage through the end of the tube F, sut licientgas will flow through the small orifice O, in the side of the tube, (see figs. 1 and 2,) to prevent the extinguishment of the flame under the retort. The heat being diminished, and, consequently, the presswe 'of the nitrous oxide, the mercury falls, and the supply of burning-gas increases, and thus a constant and nearly even supply of nitrous oxide will be evolved, by nearly constant volume of burning-gas being consumed, and the pressure of nitrous oxide upon the mercury regulates the amount of burning-gas. The mercury operates, of course, as a solid valve, through which the gases cannot pass.

The distance of the tube F from the mercury may be increased or diminished at will, by moving it up or down through the gas-tight packing-box, and the regulator thereby be made to admit uniformly anyquantity of burning-gas required.

This regulator is far superior to any new in use for this purpose, because itis much more compact in form, less liable to be broken in. transportation and use, and is not liable to get out of order. Because it contains no water to become saturated with burning-gas, and communicate it to the nitrous oxide, as is inevitable, when water and like fluids are used as a valve, and, having no joints, cannot corrode or leak. Because its cost is much less than any other regulator. Because it has an ext'a vent in its inlet-tube 1*, so that the supply of burning-gas cannot be entirely out ofl.

I am aware of the patent of James M. Osgood, of date November 1, 1864, for an automatic regulator, in which he claims a regulator, operating by pressure of air, gas, or vapor, upon a column of fluid; but by his The nitrous oxide device the gas evolved acts upon the wate in the wish or purifying-jar, and. presses the same water (or fluid) through a pipe into another vessel, into which the burning-gas flows, and the flow of which is re ulnted by this column of water, (or fluid 'i'. 0., the column of water (fluid) from the purif 'tingevessel to the gusometer, containing the burning-gas,operates as a valve, and is a part of the purifying-fluid.

In my device, the evolved gas operates directly upon the mercury, operating as a valve, but having no connection with the fluid in the purifying-jar; and, moreover, OSgOtX s device cannot, as shown, ope ate mercury, though a fluid.

I do not claim an automatic regulator, operating by the pressure of air, gas, or vapor, upon a column or fluid, the same having been used; but

I claim, as my invention, for a gas-regulatorburning when the regulator-vent is closed by the mer-' cury, substantially as shown, and for the purpose specified.

\ JOHN B. OOOLIDGE.

'Wituesses:

J. L. NEWTON, J. D. TOWLE. 

